1 Come, now a roundel and a fairy song;2 Then, for the third part of a minute, hence;3 Some to kill cankers in the musk-rose buds,4 Some war with rere-mice for their leathern wings,5 To make my small elves coats, and some keep back6 The clamorous owl that nightly hoots and wonders7 At our quaint spirits. Sing me now asleep;8 Then to your offices and let me rest.The Fairies sing9 You spotted snakes with double tongue,10 Thorny hedgehogs, be not seen;11 Newts and blind-worms, do no wrong,12 Come not near our fairy queen.13 Philomel, with melody14 Sing in our sweet lullaby;15 Lulla, lulla, lullaby, lulla, lulla, lullaby:16 Never harm,17 Nor spell nor charm,18 Come our lovely lady nigh;19 So, good night, with lullaby.20 Weaving spiders, come not here;21 Hence, you long-legg'd spinners, hence!22 Beetles black, approach not near;23 Worm nor snail, do no offence.24 Philomel, with melody, &c.

Fairy

25 Hence, away! now all is well:26 One aloof stand sentinel.

Exeunt Fairies. TITANIA sleeps

Enter OBERON and squeezes the flower on TITANIA's eyelids

OBERON

27 What thou seest when thou dost wake,28 Do it for thy true-love take,29 Love and languish for his sake:30 Be it ounce, or cat, or bear,31 Pard, or boar with bristled hair,32 In thy eye that shall appear33 When thou wakest, it is thy dear:34 Wake when some vile thing is near.

Exit

Enter LYSANDER and HERMIA

LYSANDER

35 Fair love, you faint with wandering in the wood;36 And to speak troth, I have forgot our way:37 We'll rest us, Hermia, if you think it good,38 And tarry for the comfort of the day.

HERMIA

39 Be it so, Lysander: find you out a bed;40 For I upon this bank will rest my head.

LYSANDER

41 One turf shall serve as pillow for us both;42 One heart, one bed, two bosoms and one troth.

HERMIA

43 Nay, good Lysander; for my sake, my dear,44 Lie further off yet, do not lie so near.

LYSANDER

45 O, take the sense, sweet, of my innocence!46 Love takes the meaning in love's conference.47 I mean, that my heart unto yours is knit48 So that but one heart we can make of it;49 Two bosoms interchained with an oath;50 So then two bosoms and a single troth.51 Then by your side no bed-room me deny;52 For lying so, Hermia, I do not lie.

HERMIA

53 Lysander riddles very prettily:54 Now much beshrew my manners and my pride,55 If Hermia meant to say Lysander lied.56 But, gentle friend, for love and courtesy57 Lie further off; in human modesty,58 Such separation as may well be said59 Becomes a virtuous bachelor and a maid,60 So far be distant; and, good night, sweet friend:61 Thy love ne'er alter till thy sweet life end!

LYSANDER

62 Amen, amen, to that fair prayer, say I;63 And then end life when I end loyalty!64 Here is my bed: sleep give thee all his rest!

HERMIA

65 With half that wish the wisher's eyes be press'd!

They sleep

Enter PUCK

PUCK

66 Through the forest have I gone.67 But Athenian found I none,68 On whose eyes I might approve69 This flower's force in stirring love.70 Night and silence.--Who is here?71 Weeds of Athens he doth wear:72 This is he, my master said,73 Despised the Athenian maid;74 And here the maiden, sleeping sound,75 On the dank and dirty ground.76 Pretty soul! she durst not lie77 Near this lack-love, this kill-courtesy.78 Churl, upon thy eyes I throw79 All the power this charm doth owe.80 When thou wakest, let love forbid81 Sleep his seat on thy eyelid:82 So awake when I am gone;83 For I must now to Oberon.

Exit

Enter DEMETRIUS and HELENA, running

HELENA

84 Stay, though thou kill me, sweet Demetrius.

DEMETRIUS

85 I charge thee, hence, and do not haunt me thus.

HELENA

86 O, wilt thou darkling leave me? do not so.

DEMETRIUS

87 Stay, on thy peril: I alone will go.

Exit

HELENA

88 O, I am out of breath in this fond chase!89 The more my prayer, the lesser is my grace.90 Happy is Hermia, wheresoe'er she lies;91 For she hath blessed and attractive eyes.92 How came her eyes so bright? Not with salt tears:93 If so, my eyes are oftener wash'd than hers.94 No, no, I am as ugly as a bear;95 For beasts that meet me run away for fear:96 Therefore no marvel though Demetrius97 Do, as a monster fly my presence thus.98 What wicked and dissembling glass of mine99 Made me compare with Hermia's sphery eyne?100 But who is here? Lysander! on the ground!101 Dead? or asleep? I see no blood, no wound.102 Lysander if you live, good sir, awake.

LYSANDER

Awaking103 And run through fire I will for thy sweet sake.104 Transparent Helena! Nature shows art,105 That through thy bosom makes me see thy heart.106 Where is Demetrius? O, how fit a word107 Is that vile name to perish on my sword!

HELENA

108 Do not say so, Lysander; say not so109 What though he love your Hermia? Lord, what though?110 Yet Hermia still loves you: then be content.

LYSANDER

111 Content with Hermia! No; I do repent112 The tedious minutes I with her have spent.113 Not Hermia but Helena I love:114 Who will not change a raven for a dove?115 The will of man is by his reason sway'd;116 And reason says you are the worthier maid.117 Things growing are not ripe until their season118 So I, being young, till now ripe not to reason;119 And touching now the point of human skill,120 Reason becomes the marshal to my will121 And leads me to your eyes, where I o'erlook122 Love's stories written in love's richest book.

HELENA

123 Wherefore was I to this keen mockery born?124 When at your hands did I deserve this scorn?125 Is't not enough, is't not enough, young man,126 That I did never, no, nor never can,127 Deserve a sweet look from Demetrius' eye,128 But you must flout my insufficiency?129 Good troth, you do me wrong, good sooth, you do,130 In such disdainful manner me to woo.131 But fare you well: perforce I must confess132 I thought you lord of more true gentleness.133 O, that a lady, of one man refused.134 Should of another therefore be abused!

Exit

LYSANDER

135 She sees not Hermia. Hermia, sleep thou there:136 And never mayst thou come Lysander near!137 For as a surfeit of the sweetest things138 The deepest loathing to the stomach brings,139 Or as tie heresies that men do leave140 Are hated most of those they did deceive,141 So thou, my surfeit and my heresy,142 Of all be hated, but the most of me!143 And, all my powers, address your love and might144 To honour Helen and to be her knight!

Exit

HERMIA

Awaking145 Help me, Lysander, help me! do thy best146 To pluck this crawling serpent from my breast!147 Ay me, for pity! what a dream was here!148 Lysander, look how I do quake with fear:149 Methought a serpent eat my heart away,150 And you sat smiling at his cruel pray.151 Lysander! what, removed? Lysander! lord!152 What, out of hearing? gone? no sound, no word?153 Alack, where are you speak, an if you hear;154 Speak, of all loves! I swoon almost with fear.155 No? then I well perceive you all not nigh156 Either death or you I'll find immediately.